Bridge is named for the cities of Varina and Enon, the closest cities to each end of the bridge. Given that the James River is open to navigation, the first thought was to build a draw bridge. That was not a desired option, however, since another nearby drawbridge was hit by a ship in 1977 and put out of action for over a year. The new Sunshine Skyway bridge had just been finished in Tampa, so that design was picked for this bridge.

The Varina-Enon Bridge is home to several pairs of Peregrine falcons. The birds like the bridge since it gives them the felling of being up high on a cliff. The birds have thrived after being reintroduced to Virginia, with the success due partly to buiding nesting boxes on this and other large bridge structures.